Chargers fans should hop on the Jets bandwagon, at least for one day.
ESPN New York's Rich Cimini reported Thursday that if the Jets defeat the Colts on Saturday to advance to the divisional round, the third-round conditional pick the Chargers acquired from the Jets for cornerback Antonio Cromartie in March will become a second-round pick.
The upgrade is significant.
With a Jets win, the Chargers' pick would range 57th to 64th overall, according to ProFootballTalk, as opposed to somewhere between 85th and 88th overall, should they lose.
The Jets, who eliminated the Chargers from the playoffs following the 2009 and 2004 regular seasons, will face the Colts at 5 p.m. PST in Indianapolis.
Cromartie and running back LaDainian Tomlinson are both expected to start for the AFC East runner-up. Tomlinson, 31, followed Cromartie, 26, to New York in March, signing a two-year contract after being released in February.
In 15 regular-season games, Cromartie had 17 pass deflections, his most since 2007, when he tallied 18 to go with a league-high 10 interceptions. Tomlinson started the season strong with 76 carries for 435 yards and three touchdowns in the first six games. His 5.7 yards per carry average then nosedived to 3.3 over the nine games since, carrying the ball 143 times for 479 yards and three scores.
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The Chargers' season ended Sunday with a 9-7 record, the first time since 2005 the team missed the playoffs. It will draft 18th overall in April.
